Early Years’ Foundation Stage: Advisory Teacher Support for Warwickshire Schools

Early Language Intervention

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-catch-up-premium#neli

Development Matters - Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework.

The guidance sets out pathways of children’s development in broad ages and stages but recognises the actual learning of young children is not so neat and orderly. The document encourages early years practitioners to use their knowledge to facilitate holistic learning and development and help children make progress without generating unnecessary paperwork. 

This is in line with the main aims of the reforms to the EYFS - to improve outcomes for all children, especially disadvantaged children, and to reduce teacher and practitioner workload.

Who is the guidance for?
The guidance has been written for all early year's practitioners, for childminders and staff in nurseries, nursery schools, pre-schools, nurseries, and reception classes in school. To support your understanding further please look at the Big Ofsted conversation podcast with Dr Julian Grenier.

When should the guidance be used?
The guidance can be used by schools participating in the EYFS Reform early adopter year to support changing their curriculum and practice as they deliver the new framework this year. Those who are not early adopters may find some elements of the new Development Matters useful in 2020/21 but they will still need to follow the existing EYFS Framework  until statutory roll out of the reforms in September 2021.

WIncKS Award Ceremonies 2020-2021

Warwickshire recognises and celebrates high quality enhanced provision in many of our pre-school settings (nurseries and child-minders), supporting young children with a wide range of special educational needs and disabilities. The WIncKS (Warwickshire Inclusion Kite-marking Scheme) awards scheme, initiated in 2016 by Zoe Harwood and co-produced with parents and multi-agencies, now has national recognition and 58 WIncKS Settings!

Applicants need to have a “Good” or “Outstanding” OFSTED grading before submitting additional WIncKS evidence. The inclusion award not only celebrates good practice in conjunction with OFSTED, but also raises the inclusive profile of particular settings when families are seeking high quality provision for children with SEND. The child-friendly Warwickshire bear logo, winking and flying the inclusion kite, is used to promote and reward this initiative. Certificates are usually awarded at an annual celebratory event at Warwick’s Shire Hall. However, this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, the presentations were held outside – Zoe handed over each bag of goodies, with our own “camera crew” (Sandra Bowering and her phone) and socially distanced “clappers” (Suzanne Hack, Anne-Marie Jones, Paula Owen and Keeva Austin).

Congratulations to our four new WIncKS award winners !

Stepping Stones Nursery and Pre-School, Claverdon

Sunbeams Pre-School, Radford Semele

Eastlands Primary School Nursery Class, Rugby

Coten End Pre-School, Warwick

RE Autumn Bulletin 2020

The Autumn RE Bulletin for schools has been released and can be accessed here

Better Health - Every Mind Matters

Public Health England has launched the next phase of the ‘Better Health – Every Mind Matters’ campaign, designed to support children and young people’s mental well-being.

The campaign is aimed at parents, carers, teachers and young people themselves, and is being delivered in partnership with the NHS and the nation’s leading mental health and children’s charities.

It promotes the Better Health - Every Mind Matters website which offers new NHS-approved tips and advice on supporting the mental well-being of children and young people.

You can watch the campaign video here and access the main Every Mind Matters portal here. 

You can find resources for teachers here,

You can find advice for children and young people here 

You can find advice for parents and carers here.  

Guidance for full opening: schools

Updated guidance in relation to the full opening of schools has been released and can be accessed using the following link - 

Guidance for full opening

Main changes since this guidance was last updated

The following information has been updated:

• managing confirmed cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) amongst the school community
• the framework for supporting transport to and from schools
• pupils who are shielding or self-isolating
• use of face coverings in schools
• actions for all schools and local authorities with regards to recording attendance and absence
• employer health and safety and equalities duties
• support available for schools with regard to supply teachers
• performance management and appraisal for teachers
• music, dance and drama in school
• wraparound provision and extra-curricular activity
• physical activity in schools
• new resources available for pupil well-being and support
• behaviour expectations
• primary assessment
• additional resources available for delivering remote education
• changes to SEND legislation

Free training for all Mental Health Leads

The DfE has released additional funding for local authorities to support pupils and students well-being and mental health as they return to full-time education this autumn.

The Wellbeing for Education Return Grant seeks to better equip schools and colleges to promote children and young people’s well-being, resilience, and recovery in response to Covid-19. As well as strengthening and building well-being and resilience, it aims to prevent the onset of mental health problems and ensure those with pre-existing or emerging difficulties access the right support.

There are two elements to the project: 

1. A new national training package providing guidance and resources for education staff on responding to the impact of Covid-19 on the well-being of their students and pupils. 
   
   
2. Funding to local authorities to help put local experts in place to work with partners to adapt this training, deliver it to nominated staff in education settings, and provide ongoing advice and support until March 2021. 

Warwickshire will use the grant to fund local experts and build on local initiatives already happening in the county. This will be established through partnership working with local children's mental health services, school nurses, education psychology, school improvement and early help services.

Please note the training that will be available as part of this project is in addition to the training that will eventually be provided for Mental Health Leads in Trailblazer schools.

We will be contacting school and colleges shortly to identify key contacts.

For any queries please contact Margot Brown margotbrown@warwickshire.gov.uk or Sophie Thompson sophiethompson@warwickshire.gov.uk

Support for Leadership and Management in Schools September 2020 to July 2021

School Improvement in the new academic year is focused on vulnerable pupils and bridging the gap as children and schools continue to meet the challenges arising from Covid-19.

In Warwickshire we want to build on the stronger relationships and collaborative working developed from March 2020 onwards.

Below is a summary of the ways in which we will be supporting schools over the academic year.  Further detail for some of our actions is provided in today’s edition of Heads Up, with more information to follow in the coming weeks.

We will make available for all schools:

• Regular monthly virtual LA briefings for all Headteachers and primary consortia/secondary area network chairs including provision of links with subject matter experts and services across the council.
• A single point of contact for each primary consortium and secondary area network (Find more information here). 
• Financial resources to support the work of primary consortia and secondary area networks with specific Covid recovery themes. Find out more here. 
• Leadership and Management - themed webinars. Please find dates and how to book here.  
• https://schools.warwickshire.gov.uk/ webpages with latest guidance/resources available, including transition programmes with bridging units
• Headteacher Wellbeing. We are still offering our ‘Listening Ear’ service and next week we’ll give details of some well-being webinars we have commissioned specifically for headteachers along with an upcoming coaching course. Please find here a full list of resources
  to support Headteachers with their own mental health and well-being: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. 
• Termly LA Headteacher Conferences. 
• Wellbeing Education Return Fund (provides training on mental health support to Mental Health Support leads in all schools, further information to follow)
• Support for governing bodies with recruitment of new headteachers

We will make additional targeted resources available for some schools including:

• Schools who were categorised as Category C or D in 2019 – more information to follow in direct communication with those schools. We will continue to commission headteachers who are System Leaders to support this work and to support System Leader CPD through Warwickshire School Improvement Partnership (WSIP)
• ‘Warwickshire Challenge’ for all Key Stage Three students to encourage young people to engage with opportunities outside of school – more details next week
• Support through Sustainability Action Groups for those schools with deficit budgets or projected deficits.
• Support for maintained schools which find themselves in exceptional circumstances.
• Nuneaton Education Strategy, details for the Coordinator post here
• Inclusion of some schools in EEF Improving Educational Achievement of Disadvantaged CYP in Warwickshire
• Continuation of Warwickshire Improving SEMH and SEND in Schools Project (WISSSP)

Support for Primary Consortia and Secondary Area Networks

Support for Primary Consortia and Secondary Area Networks

• £5000 will be paid into school budgets for primary consortia chairs and to chairs of secondary area networks to support them as they fulfil their role. We ask that consortia and the area networks confirm their 2020/2021 Chairs  with Hilary Honess (hilaryhoness@warwickshire.gov.uk ) by Friday 11^th September to enable payments to be set up.  Secondary colleagues will note that this is a new fund: the LA is keen to maintain and strengthen its relationship with our secondary schools and we hope that this support for area networks will facilitate this.

Two additional funds will be made available:

Fund 1: Recovery

• Fund allocations are being made available to primary consortia and secondary area networks.
• The allocation for each primary consortium is based pro-rata on the number of schools and pupils in each with a minimum payment of £5,000. Secondary area networks will receive £8,000.  Once we know who your chair is for 2020/21, Sophie Thompson will email to confirm the allocation and payment details for your consortium/network.
• This resource is to enable a flexible and local approach so consortia/area networks can identify key priorities closely linked to needs of individual/groups of schools and enable small scale, high impact interventions to take place
• In order to access this funding, each primary consortia and area network will need to complete the attached plan by Friday 2^nd October.  A brief evaluation will be required (details included in action plan) and reported to AAGs by June 2021.
• There is a separate fund for strengthening remote learning allocated to primary consortia (see below).

Fund 2: Remote Learning

• This is an additional allocation to enable schools to strengthen and continue the work they have already started on Remote Learning.
• Each consortium will be asked to nominate an expert lead for remote learning from within one of their schools.  The fund will contribute to management time to release the expert leads for work within their own school, support for other schools and to attend training/expert lead meetings
• This work will be supported by the SAS (Strategic Advice and Support) team within ICT Development Service (ICTDS).
• Further information on this proposal will be published in the coming weeks.

Recovery Curriculum support for schools

AAIA ( The association for Achievement and Improvement through Assessment) has a new page of materials and links on its home page. This is to support schools as their pupils return to school this autumn.  This page is open to all users (members and non-members) and can be accessed from a link on the home page.  You can also access this directly by clicking on the link below:

https://www.aaia.org.uk/returning-to-school-supporting-learning-and-well-being

National Professional Qualification for Headship

The Griffin Teaching School Alliance will be running The National Professional Qualification for Headship; a nationally accredited programme for those who are, or are aspiring to become, a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school.

The programme incorporates :

• Personal learning and reflection;
• Self-study of revised modular materials;
• A whole school development project and written assessment;
• A partner school placement and written assessment;
• Support through the programme by a sponsor from your school .

The course start with an introductory session on Friday, November 13th 2020 from 10 until 12.

For further information please use this link to access the flyer.

National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership

The National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership is a revised, nationally accredited programme offering the opportunity to consider your school leadership through discussion and debate with your peers and coach. 

The programme incorporates

• personal learning and reflection;
• self-study of online modular materials;
• a whole school leadership challenge;
• support through the programme by a learning coach from your school;
• evaluating the leadership of teaching 
• learning and the skills needed to close achievement gaps.

The course start with an introductory session for delegates and coaches Thursday Nov 12th 2020 - 3.30pm until 5pm

For further information please use this link to access the flyer.

New Opportunities within WCC School Improvement Team

Two exciting new roles have arisen within WCC Education Services School Improvement Team. 

• • We are currently advertising for a Nuneaton Strategy Coordinator (please find here more information)

For an informal chat contact Margot Brown: margotbrown@warwickshire.gov.uk and/or Sophie Thompson: sophiethompson@warwickshire.gov.uk. 

• • We are also seeking a School Sustainability Lead Officer (please find here more information).

For an informal chat contact Kim Garcia, Education Strategy and Commissioning Manager: kimgarcia@warwickshire.gov.uk

WCC Education Services School Improvement Team – useful contacts

Margot Brown, School Improvement Lead Commissioner

margotbrown@warwickshire.gov.uk

07917 505157

Helen Redican, Senior School Improvement Advisor

helenredican@warwickshire.gov.uk

01926 742534

07765 400375

Debbie Hibberd, Moderation Manager/Learning Improvement Officer

debbiehibberd@warwickshire.gov.uk

01926 743015

07932007324

 Sophie Thompson, Intervention, Data and Project Management Officer

sophiethompson@warwickshire.gov.uk

01926 746961

 Hilary Honess, Administrator (Education Services)

hilaryhoness@warwickshire.gov.uk

01926 745621

 Sarah Taylor, Admin Assistant(Education Services)

sarahtaylor@warwickshire.gov.uk

01926 742004

Save the date - Autumn Term Headteachers' Conference

Save the Date! Autumn Term 2020 Headteachers' Conference 

Wednesday 21^st October 2020, 10.00am – 12.00pm 

To be held virtually on Microsoft Teams 

The focus of this term’s conference will be the SEND & Inclusion Change Programme and will also include updates from the Council.  We hope you will be able to join us. 

An agenda with further details will follow. 

Early Years’ Foundation Stage: Advisory Teacher Support for Warwickshire Schools

Getting it right in the early years’ foundation stage (EYFS) is so important to give all children, and particularly those who are disadvantaged, the best start to statutory schooling. 

Within Warwickshire 71.8% of children were assessed as ‘ready for school’ in 2019. But this means that almost 3 children in 10 were not. 

It increased to over 5 in 10 children when looking at those in receipt of free school meals (2018/19 EYFSP data). 

The Warwickshire Early Years Advisory Team sits within the wider Education Services Team. It comprises two advisory teachers and an advisory practitioner who are able to offer support and advice across the remit of birth to five. 

Please find here more information on how to get support. 

New email address for WCC Head's and their admin support teams

A new email address has been set up for WCC Headteachers and their admin support teams exclusively. 

Please do contact headteacheradmissions@warwickshire.gov.uk for any issue related to School admissions.